


A Deal is a Deal

by JustCharlieBruh



Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: AU - Supernatural, Angel!Kudous, Angel!Mouris, Angel!Ran, Angel!Shinichi, BAMF!Ran, Body Horror, Completely different history, Devil!Kurobas, F/M, Height Differences, KUROBA TOICHI IS ALIVE AND WELL AND WRITING HIM IS FUN, Kaito is 6 feet 6 inches point 6, Kaito is a Devil King as are his parents, M/M, Only four characters tagged above are human, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I NEED TO TAG ANYTHING, Reincarnation, Soul Selling, it was worth it, plus theres this whole thing and I'll just let you read lol, the lore is so much fun to write, yes parents as in PLURAL, you guys ready for a fun ass ride, you read that right
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-08
Updated: 2018-05-08
Packaged: 2019-03-15 11:32:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13612458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustCharlieBruh/pseuds/JustCharlieBruh
Summary: 'You must pay it's price' A phrase which has followed him for a long time, often uttered to him by his parents or his workers. Even the lone Creator had told him that once. Yet even with all the deals he's made, he's only had to utter it to one soul. Repeatedy. A certain Kudou Shinichi.{Poem Referenced is A Deal with the Devil by Eyan Desir}





	1. Year Six

At first glance, Shinichi having an imaginary friend isn't all that bad. He was young enough, certainly smart enough and especially lonely enough to have more than a few.  
  
The battle priest is called in less than an hour after he'd come home from school. The Kudous had found Shinichi and his one friend Ran in the middle of a room of flying cutlery as laughter echoed in from all sides, of course they’d immediately call in a battle priest. Shinichi, of course, was displeased at finding out this information as was Ran and whatever entity they were apparently playing with. The bookshelves rattled ominously as Yukiko grabbed Ran and bolted out of the room. Yuusaku went to snatch up Shinichi when he was thrown out into the hall way, the door slamming in front of him.  
  
It's in this situation that the battle priest finds them, Yuusaku's frantically slamming at the door as she hears laughter on the other side.  
  
"If I may, Yuusaku-san?" She prods, nodding towards the door. "Why don't you join Yukiko-san and Ran-kun in the foyer? I'm more than equipped."  
  
The frazzled author only sighs as he looks back to the door one last time before nodding nervously. "Save my son, _please_ ."  
  
She only nods and lets him pass before standing in front of the door herself. Akiyama checks everything one last time before knocking on the door. "Shinichi-kun? I'm Akiyama Tora, I'm a battle priest and here to see if the entity is a danger to you or not. Am I allowed inside?"  
  
There's some muffled arguing, voices of a young adult and a child mixing, before the door swings open and her breath catches in her chest.

Sitting on the edge of the desk is a Devil King (by the Creation, although he looks human in every sense of the word, just the sheer force of his will floods the room, almost suffocating her) with the Kudous’ son in his arms. He’s a spectacular mess of a man, an all white suit with hints of black at the elbow, she can see a splash of red and blue under his blazer, and a mess of dark brown hair. No wings, no horns, and yet the air around him is _odd_ , in a way that sets off her fight or flight instincts. Striking indigo eyes narrow at her as she bows. Shinichi-kun only burrows his face into the Devil King's shoulder, peeking from between his tiny fingers.

(In a way, this Devil King looks like an older version of the boy she’s tasked to save. Whether it’s a trick or not, she keeps her mind focused.) There’s a beat or several of silence.

Akiyama takes a deep breath in and assesses the situation. She's in the den of a predator now.  Albeit, a white-suit wearing predator, but a predator all the same. "May I ask your name?"  
  
"At least you've manners, unlike those brothers of yours before you." The King sniffs before smirking at her, lifting his lip enough to show a fang glistening in the sunlight. " You may ask, but have you _earned_ my name?" Well, shit.  
  
"I haven't, to be honest. I've come to make sure Shinichi-kun is safe as is per his parents' request."  
  
"He is safe. Safest at my side and my side only." The Devil King shifts again and pouts like a giant child. His white suit catches her eye, the white blazer covered in what looks like runes from his shoulders and disappearing down his back. He tilts his head waiting for a response and she narrows her eyes. Something is off...Her brow furrows in concentration, the space above the entity's head shimmers. And with a final push of will, his horns come into view, easily visible against the sunlight. Two sets of horns, much to her horror. The first set is bone white -- as white as his suit -- just past the edge of his hairline, nestled comfortably in the dark brown locks, curving towards the back of his head. The second set is a dark blue, curving around his ears ending just barely above his cheeks, pointed towards his eyes, breaching from a spot on his head just above the tip of his ears.

“Now, that’s just impolite, Akiyama-san.” And the Devil King tsks, frowning at her rudeness. She wants to immediately apologize and beg for her life, yet she feels it’d only make everything worse. He shifts Shinichi-kun a bit, hiking him onto his hip as he stands from his seat. Her throat goes dry almost immediately as he towers over her, even from across the room. Akiyama reaches into her sleeve for a vial of holy water. She may not be able to beat a Devil King, but she wouldn’t allow Shinichi-kun to be corrupted by his presence! The entity steps forward, tilting his head to press a  dark blue horn against the child’s cheek. He smiles tauntingly at her as Kudo-kun grips him closer. “If you wanted to see my horns, you could have just asked.”

“Asking a Devil King is a dangerous thing to do if you aren’t careful with your words, Heika.” She bows her head, praying to the Creator feverishly. “I had to see how strong you were myself.”

“And?” He prompts, spinning around with Kudo-kun in his arms, the child’s laughter only heightening the tension in the room. “What do you think?”

“You’re incredibly strong, Heika. To have two sets of horns is almost impossible.” He takes another step forward as she pops the cork off the vial, ready to let it fly. The room shifts and stretches, he crosses the five feet in only a single step. Her heart drops into her stomach as she feverishly says her goodbyes to her sisterhood.

“I like Kai’s horns! They’re really cool and interesting a-and there’s nothing wrong with them at all!” _Kai_ chuckles as she commits the name to memory, not that it’d do her any good now. She hears barely audible murmuring as a taloned glove rubs at his back to soothe him.

“Yes, keyword being _almost_ .” He tilts her head up with a clawed finger under her chin, her eyes meet his and she’s never felt so afraid. Kudo-kun is watching them both intensely, bright blue flicks flicking between them. “See, I’m good at managing to make the impossible possible and I’m feeling very _kind_ today, ojou-sama.”

The only warning she gets is a deep breathe and then she _hears_ him inside her head.

 _We don’t need to fight, Tora-san._ He coos, before sharpening his gaze and she feels pressure begin to uncomfortably grow behind her eyes. _I’ll go quietly with you if-- and only if-- you put up protection wards around the house, enough to last a month here._

 _You-you’ll come quietly?_ She inhales quickly before a feeling of dread washes over her. _I’d dealt with a pretty bad Diaslet before coming over, I’ve only enough supplies for two weeks’ worth!_

He frowns and her list of the most terrifying things he’s done only grows. Tora opens her mouth to speak when Kudou-kun grabs the Devil by the horns to look at him. She audibly winces at the harsh jerk.

“Yes, Shinichi?” Kai asks, impossibly calm, smiling serenely at the boy squirming in his arms.

“Y-You’re doing the mind talking!” Kudou-kun gasps out once he stops squirming, sounding more betrayed than she expected him to be. “You’re not allowed to do that with someone else! You said it was something only best friends do and she can’t be your best friend when you’re _mine._ ”

Just that singular word filled with so much power is enough to have her recap the vial and smack her palm against her forehead. Her head throbs as she grumbles under her breath, a quick peek to the duo only fuels it. Of course, _of course_ the child has to be a powerful Caster, strong enough to draw the attention of the Devil King beaming down at him with- With fondness and pride?

“You wouldn’t have liked our talk, Kudou-kun.” She tries, pitching her voice to soothing as he locks eyes with her. He only frowns at her before looking back at Kai, horns still in his tiny hands.

“What’s she mean, Kai?” The little one sounds adamant and demanding. Still, she thinks, there’s definitely a bond between them or they’ve at least spent a long time with one another to be so comfortable with each other to not use honorifics. She frowns slightly, she’ll have to have a talk with his parents about the responsibility of raising children correctly and keeping a closer eye on them. No doubt any other supernatural entities would be as kind as the one in front of her.

“Well,” The Devil pauses, biting his lip before setting the boy down and kneeling in front of him. It certainly makes quite a sight, a boy standing in a study with the floor full of cutlery and a Devil King kneeling at his feet. Said Devil King, _Kai_ she reminds herself, grabs his hand, the clawed glove completely swallowing his tiny one. “Since I’ve been found out, I’ll have to leave for a moment. Just a moment, I promise I’ll come back as fast as I can.”

Kai looks nervous from where she can see him and it doesn’t raise her hopes in the slightest. She’d never seen any case of a human and a Devil King be so attached at the hip without some sort of ulterior motive on either side. Akiyama can hear Kudou-kun’s breath hitch and she automatically makes calculations for the banishment circle to be slightly weaker as a way for him to return faster. She checks her watch, it’s only been about fifteen minutes since she’s entered and they already have her wrapped around their little fingers. The church would be horrified. Good thing they aren’t here to watch.

“But you’ve told me that moments last forever.” He rips his hand out of Kai’s and the image of his heartbroken face as Kudou-kun’s lip wobbles makes her heart ache. She looks away, feeling as if this is something she shouldn’t be witnessing.

* * *

Tiny hands move to grab at Kaito’s lapels and tighten their grip. Shinichi’s eyes shine wetly and he almost loses the urge to fight staying at his side. Instead, he gives him a shaky smile that’s probably far too sad and threads his hand through hair a few shades lighter than his own.

He pulls his small charge into a hug, kissing the crown of his head.

“This moment will pass faster than you’ll realize, Shinichi, I promise.” Kaito exhales, feeling his shoulder slowly turn damp. He looks up to see Akiyama-san turning away and he can only pull apart from the crying Shinichi. Wide, watery, blue eyes look up at him, nose starting to run and Kaito can only chuckle. He pulls out a handkerchief and beings wiping at the other’s face with the efficiency of a soccer mom handling too many children at once. “Don’t you worry, alright? When I come back, we can do whatever you want. We’ll even go and fly high in the sky.”

His shoulder blades flare with pain slightly, but he ignores it as Shinichi violently shakes his head. “I don’t care about flying or touching the sky, I just want you to _stay_.”

Kaito wobbles a bit, almost buckling under the command word. Still so young and yet so powerful, how come this is the particular lifetime that Shinichi’s Voice starts to return? He shakes his head slightly, he could think about that later, dabbing at his tears again before opening one of his portals and pulling out a cleaner version to tie around Shinichi’s wrist. “I can’t, at least not now. I’ll find my way back to you soon enough, they won’t be able to keep me away for long.”

Shinichi only wordlessly pulls him in for another hug.

* * *

_"Shin-chan, promise me you’ll be very careful with your words?”_

_“Why?”_

_A fond sigh as his mother picks him up, she doesn’t see the horned gentleman dressed in a black double waistcoat standing in the corner, watching him with a fond smile. He scrunches his nose at him while his mom’s distracted._

_“Your words are really powerful and that’s very rare, Shin-chan. We don’t want to hurt anyone, would we?”_

_“My words can hurt people?” A horrified look fills his face and his mother ruffles his hair._

_“Words will always be able to hurt people, ours just pack a bit more punch is all.”_

_“Kaa-san, I don’t want my words to punch people!” Even the horned man watching them bursts into laughter at that, almost harmonizing with his mother perfectly as she does the same._

* * *

Kaito leaves quietly, but in enough of a flourish of wind and mess that the other occupants waiting nervously in the foyer notice. Any oppressive energy he may have been putting out earlier lifts from the air as he lands in an alleyway nearby, waiting for the Battle Priest to continue her job and leave.

It takes another thirty minutes before she exits the manor and impressively blends back into the crowds outside. Doesn’t take much to find her as she begins her trek back, though, He slips this way and that through the busy Tokyo streets as a blond haired foreigner, tall for his age.

Akiyama-san’s constant locking eyes with his only passes along the message. _Follow_. So he does and they arrive at an abandoned warehouse soon enough.

“We’ll do the banishment here, I’ve enough to do it by myself, but the weakest I can make it is for you to stay away for three months.” She wrings her hands as he raises an eyebrow.

“In my realm’s time or yours, Akiyama-ojou-san?”

“In mine, Heika.” Is the succinct answer, his gut churns uncomfortably at that and he frowns. He turns to her, holding a hand out.

“You don’t have to call me that. I’m Kaito, just Kaito.” She stares at the appendage as if it’s going to turn into something soon enough. A pointed clearing of his throat has her grasping it like a lifeline, energetically shaking it up and down.

“You don’t have much contact with people, do you?” He chuckles out. Akiyama only blushes and shakes her head,

“Why did you tell me your name?” She asks as she begins preparations.

“You earned it, Akiyama-ojou-san.” At her questioning look, he continues on. “You didn’t outright attack me or use Shinichi in anyway to get closer to me. You allowed me to leave peacefully and are even messing with your banishment seal to make sure I return quicker than normal. You’ve definitely earned my name after all that.”

There’s a pause and the scraping of chalk against concrete. He can almost see the gears turning in her head as she thinks on it.

“Thank you, Kaito-san, I’ll do my best to watch over Kudo-kun in your stead.” Determined light brown eyes turn his way and he tilts his head to look at the scene before him. Here stands a woman barely reaching his shoulder, black hair shaved close to her head as a black coat whips around her. The only sign of her devotion to the Creator being the carefully constructed seal at her feet and a diamond hanging off a certainly expensive chain. She claps the chalk off her hands as Kaito steps in, hands in his pocket, as casual as one could be. As if he was simply waiting in line to pay for something instead of getting banished back to his circle of the Hells. He fixes her with an intense gaze, one she meets head on and he mentally commends her for it.

“You’ve earned yourself an ally, Akiyama Tora. With your devotion to genuinely protect a child you’ve barely met this afternoon, you’ve earned more than a name.” A beat of silence as she fumbles with her book. He allows her a minute to process the information. “So long as you guard him with your life while I’m away, I’m sure our alliance will continue. Don’t disappoint me.”

And she begins chanting, her only answer a swift nod of her head. He takes a deep breath as bright purple flames light up the circle for a moment, trying not to flinch at the sight of it. With another few minutes of calming, continuous chanting, Kaito disappears in a puff of smoke. He whistles cheerfully after a moment of waiting for his body to adjust. It cuts through apathetic silence as he waltzes through the Fields of Asphodel towards the family home. He never really did understand his parents’ love for the Greek Mythos when they were considered myths themselves.


	2. Year Six, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which bad things happen in a short amount of time. Where Kaito meticulously counts every second and he's still too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight, undescript eye gore? Be aware. Also sorry for being away for so long just to type up barely 2k words to dump in all of y'alls laps ;;;

Kaito peers at the face of a silver pocket watch, his own glowing a slight red from the light it emits as time ticks on in this realm. He closes it, gently, but no less irritable, stuffing the watch into its pocket. He trails another of the three chains, silver this time, to pull out a golden watch. The front is engraved in jewels, sapphires as blue as Shinichi's eyes and rubies as red as his father's horns. He clicks it open and tsks in disappointment. The yellow light almost blinds him for a moment, but he blinks it away, keeping an eye on the blurring numbers.  
  
He spends twenty minutes like this, standing in an empty hallway, foot tapping slightly on the marble floor. He can hear Shinichi's calls for him streak through the Aether as he watches a month pass by in the Mundane on the watch. Kaito doesn't even realize his parents make their way down the hall. Doesn't see them share worried looks that melt into resignation and then fondness.

A strong hand lands on his shoulder, squeezing slight, prompting him to look up. So he does. He meets his father’s gaze head on, posturing for some reason he hasn’t decided on yet. Shinichi calls for him again, strong enough to make his bones shake in the urge to just teleport there. Yet he can’t, the banishment still in effect. His mother gently grabs him by the elbow. She smiles sadly at him, before scoffing.

“We’ll get nothing done if you two just stand here for the next forty minutes, smiling sadly like that.” She grabs Kaito by the chin, yanking him down to eye level. “I know you miss your boy and you want to run to him, Kaibou, but moping around will do nothing but hinder you. Best to get some paperwork done now so it doesn’t pile up later. You’ll get through as you always have, considering you manage to get yourself banished at least once every lifetime you two share.”

“Kaa-san, I’m _not_ moping. Shinichi’s got Akiyama Tora watching over him. He’s _safe._ ” He totally doesn’t whine, not at all. He’s been over 300 years old for a _long time,_ he has no time to whine. She gives him a Look, as if knowing how nervous he feels when he’s not there and is about to snark back when Oyaji’s hearty laugh covers the halls. For a moment, he swears the palace heats up with life. It thrums under his feet, makes him feel like dancing along the looming columns to his father's heartbeat. He absorbs a bit of that energy, tucks it tight into a corner of his heart to use later as his mother frog marches him to his office.

He stretches out tendrils of energy, small enough to barely be felt through the barriers, towards his charge. He intends them to be comforting, to give Shinichi incentive to wait (seeing as he hadn’t one lifetime, gallivanting off without protection, only to be found by Kaito on the floor of their shared apartment. Torn to ribbons.) Of course, that has the moment that Shinichi Calls out into the Aether, with a strong enough command that Kaito tries to leap to his feet at the burst of energy. Shinichi _latches_ onto those tendrils and _yanks_ , a flood of panic sweeping through him because Shinichi wouldn’t do this unless- _Ow._ His legs give out underneath him as if he’s been swept off them, he crumbles into his father’s arms as the elder Devil King comes rushing up from behind. He feels more than sees his mother’s gentle hands cupping his face as pure starlight clouds his vision. The blinding whites and reds and oranges flash over and over and he wants to close his eyes, _but they’re already closed._ It’s a moment before he’s airborne and he freaks out for a second, eyes snapping open, seeing only color, color, color, until-

“It’s me, Kaito,” his mother murmurs as she hoists an arm under him to help carry the weight off just her hip, the other curls protectively around him as he carefully rests his head on her shoulder. Faintly, faintly, he can hear her comforting murmurs, her annoyed grumbling as his father steps in line. He doesn’t feel it, but he shakes in her arms, like he used to when the thunderstorms D would make got too close for comfort. He shivers as his body heat is directed inward, as energy leaves him in a last resort to keep everything together. Kaito can barely feel his mother’s wings emerge, only feels wind brush against his face as they glide through the halls towards his office, towards what’s _his._ Colors burst across his vision and he longs for the sweet darkness of unconsciousness. He can barely hear his father over the rush of wind and the flapping of feathered wings surrounding him.

“Don’t give in! Kaito, don’t close your eyes yet!” It’s panicked. Was he closing his eyes? He couldn’t tell, not with the numbness spreading through his body so quickly. His soul barely keeping together, Shinichi’s Call reverberating through his mind. By the stars, he wanted to go so bad. Wanted to teleport there and hold him and tell him everything would be alright. That no one would hurt him.

_Kaito, please! Please, please come back, he has a knife! He’s got a knife and he’s gonna hurt me, please, pleasepleasepleaseplease-_

Kaito _whimpers_ , most definitely hyperventilating as anxiety floods through him, as Shinichi’s fear and hopelessness fills him.  By Creation, he’s only six. He shouldn’t be in so much danger already, _he’s only six._

By the time they get him settled onto his couch, he’s clawed lines into his arms. Blue blood’s spilling into creases of his suit as he downright vibrates. Shinichi’s Call grows louder and louder, enough that when he comes through for a fuzzy moment, Oyaji is holding him down as his mother glows an ethereal blue before disappearing.

“Kaito!” His father almost yells, looking harried with a few strands of hair curling down. A mix of sweat and Kaito’s own blood streaks down the cut of his jaw ending mid-throat. “Kaito, focus on me. Focus on my voice.”

Kaito tries to, it’s hard when he has control over nothing. His claws, because no way they’re nails now, not with the extra two inches in length, dig into his palms again as the pain blurs everything together.

* * *

Tora’s day is going well enough while on foreign soil, the Vatican looms off in the distance. There weren’t many misunderstandings and she only glared at the Pope twice, but not enough to chance his security rushing her this time. So, win-win for today, she thinks as she drops into a bay window seat with a sigh of relief. There’s a moment of quiet, until an angry Devil King literally bursts through her fireplace and she almost shits herself.

She grabs at a binding book hidden under her coat as the light green fire flares from her(?) horns. The Devil King leaves indents in the floor as she unfurls herself, towering over Akiyama as most do.

“How may I help you?” Tora winces out, trying not to be as informal with this one as she was with Kaito-san.

“You’re the one who banished my son.” A statement. She thinks for a moment, she’s had to banish many entities in the past month. Her brow furrows, spirit faltering for a moment as this terrifying being takes a step closer, flames spiraling ever higher from her horns.

“Uhm…” Tora goes through a very slight moment of confusion before her survival instincts scream at her to _truly_ look at the person in front of her. Her chest tightens for a moment as it all clicks. She sees _him_ in her eyes, in her bunched shoulders as her fists ball and it all makes sense. “You’re meaning Kaito-san, yes? He was very-”

She’s lifted off her feet and it takes a lot of self discipline to not splash Holy Water in the other's face and make the whole situation worse. Tora chokes a bit, as the unnamed Devil King, as Kaito-san’s _mother_ tightens her grip.

“You _promised_ .” And she flinches as sulfuric gas pours from the corner of the other’s lips. That’s not good, _none_ of this is _good._ “You promised and yet you’re _here._ You’re _here_ and they’re both _hurting_ .”  
Tora pales, because uh, _fuck_ . Anger and guilt sweep away the confusion in alternating waves as her eyes widen in shock because this means-

This means the people she trusted have failed her and in turn, it wasn't enough to protect them, either of them. And now she has to pay the price, because her carelessness has cost the lives of two people who put their  _faith_ in her.

 For that, she'll gladly pay the price.

She bites her lip hard enough to bleed before going limp. She grabs at her cross despite the warning snarl and murmurs, "do what you will with me, Heika."

The Devil King leans on a growl tearing from her throat as she stares into her soul. "Oh, I will." She promises.

* * *

It feels like an eternity has passed as Kaito slips in and out of consciousness. He at least hopes it hasn’t been an eternity, an eternity would be bad. An eternity would mean-

“Kaibou?” He tilts his head towards the noise, towards his mother despite the throb, barely feeling cool hands cradle his neck as he groans. He’s gotten used to the colors, gotten sick of them as the buzzing dies down in his ears slightly. Everything still hurts. Everything still feels  _ wrong.  _ He feels like sludge is dripping down and drowning him and the  _ colors  _ are still- “Kaibou, I’ve spoken with your priest, she’s looking into Shinichi-kun’s problem. Just hold on a while longer, love.” 

He doesn’t know if he  _ can _ . He chokes on his panic, waiting isn’t  _ enough _ , there won’t be  _ enough  _ time.  _ Time _ , he tries get it out past the lump in his throat, tries to somehow grab at his pocket watch to check even if he can’t see. Yet nails dig into his wrists, stopping him and he makes a confused noise in the back of his throat.

“Mama-” He croaks out, feeling the air crackle. He hasn’t called her that in a long time. “Mama, the  _ time _ , I need- I need the time. Shinichi’s-” 

He almost curls in on himself from another burst of pain, fighting against his parents who stretch him out across the leather couch. Their voices don’t even reach him as Shinichi shrieks again in his head and  _ yanks  _ as a six year old with too much power is wont to do. Worry fills the room as his mother returns to petting his hair and he almost gets nauseous at seeing this shade of orange for the sixth time. What’s left of his energy lashes out, trying to still reach his charge as his mom holds him tighter. “Kaibou, we need to stop this.”

Oh, oh no, 

“Kaibou, I’m sorry, but- You know what has to be done.”

No. Nononononononononononono-  _ No. Not again. _

He feels her nails dig into the corners of his eyes.

_ No, Mama, no, please _ . If he focuses over the buzz, he can hear her sobs mix with his as pain erupts around his sockets. His screams die into a whimper as he thrashes, as he sobs, as sweet, sweet darkness overtakes him.

He never even got to know if Shinichi is safe.

* * *

In the Mundane, Shinichi sobs into the shoulder of a familiar white suit. Gloved fingers comb awkwardly through his hair, but he doesn’t care. He’s _safe_. Kaito _answered_ and that’s all that matters. 

“That’s all that matters.” He repeats, burrowing his face into the clammy skin of his friend’s neck as he hears Kaito repeat what he said.

“All that matters.”  _ His  _ best friend croaks out as he cradles Shinichi closer in their corner of the library. He frowns for a moment, feeling something off, but only for a moment as Kaito clumsily rocks him and hums something close to a lullaby that surprisingly helps him drift to off to sleep. 

Before he knows it, his eyes are shut and he visibly sags against the entity holding him. He never sees the ghoulish smile splitting their lips as their form flickers into that of a sort of shadow monster with gaping white eyes for a moment. Never feels the kiss to his temple as their form crackles again before straightening back out into that of _Kaito_ , of their King.

They laugh quietly in the darkness as the boy makes a sort of sniffling noise against their neck. So, he’d befriended one of the Kings,  _ their  _ King no less. Had expected him to come at his every beck and call, as if their King would come like some common dog.

As if. 

They’d teach him different, teach him to  _ respect  _ the power of their King.

The boy would _ learn. _

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know if there are errors or mistakes and I'll do my best to fix them. Also, please let me know what you liked and disliked.

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't forget to leave a comment or kudos if you've liked it! Let me know what your favorite parts were if you want to! (Also, Absynthe has been put on the back burner bc I don't exactly want to lose inspiration or that so soon and the flame is wavering haaah QWQ)


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